Published : 10 Oct 2026, 11:22 PM
Updated : 10 Oct 2026, 11:22 PM
Indian police detained more than 2,000 protesters and the founder of a youth movement in Delhi on Saturday as security forces locked down parts of the capital to prevent a rally demanding the resignation of the country's election chief.
Thousands of police and paramilitary personnel were deployed across the city, mobile internet services were suspended in the central business district, and dozens of metro stations and markets were shut ahead of the demonstration organised by the Cockroach movement.
The protest targeted Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over revisions to voter lists that critics say disproportionately benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The movement had planned to gather thousands of people at Jantar Mantar in central Delhi, but security forces sealed off the area before the rally could begin.
A home ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that more than 2,000 people had been detained in Delhi. Local media reported that about 400 protesters were held in Mumbai, India's financial hub. Police did not immediately comment on the detentions.
Smaller demonstrations broke out elsewhere in Delhi, including at a popular crafts market and the memorial to independence leader Mahatma Gandhi, with protesters calling for Kumar to resign.
"Long live the revolution," some young demonstrators chanted as police chased them and dragged others into buses, a Reuters witness said.
"This is violating the rights of the people and the country will not tolerate this anymore," protester Yogendra Solanki told Reuters as police escorted him away.
Movement Leaders Detained
Police detained Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke and senior leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka when their flight from Mumbai landed in Delhi, the group said in a statement.
Television footage showed Dipke challenging officers who approached him on board the aircraft.
"I have come to be arrested, arrest me ... I am not afraid of you guys," he said.
"No, this is not an arrest," one officer replied. "Please cooperate."
The movement condemned what it described as the "authoritarian detention" of its leaders, demanded their release and vowed to continue demonstrating.
"We will continue our protest tomorrow, day after ... until Gyanesh Kumar resigns. We will be on the streets," CJP leader Ajinkya Shinde told reporters.
The group also said authorities had refused to provide updates on its leaders' whereabouts or health after news emerged of the death of Dipke's grandmother. Police said Dipke had been informed of her death and offered help to return home for the funeral.
Television channels showed police also detaining opposition lawmakers and former chief ministers Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal, Arvind Kejriwal of Delhi and Pinarayi Vijayan of Kerala.
Representatives of two digital news outlets said police briefly detained four of their reporters covering the demonstrations. A Reuters journalist was also briefly detained before being released.
Security forces established checkpoints on major roads and at entry points across Delhi, a city of about 20 million people. Officers boarded buses to search for protesters and inspected vehicles, while barricades and concrete blocks disrupted traffic. Anti-riot vehicles equipped with tear-gas launchers guarded key routes.
New Challenge to Modi
The demonstrations mark a significant challenge for Modi, driven by allegations that election authorities improperly revised voter rolls ahead of recent state elections.
Protests intensified after the Indian Express reported last week that two election commissioners had questioned Kumar's voter-list revisions, which removed roughly 130 million entries.
Kumar has not commented on the allegations, while the Election Commission and the BJP have denied wrongdoing.
The BJP says its electoral success reflects Modi's popularity and India's economic growth, accusing opposition parties of spreading misinformation.
The near-daily protests follow demonstrations over examination paper leaks that forced India's education minister to resign. The unrest also comes ahead of a series of important state elections beginning in early 2027.
Rahul Gandhi, leader of the main opposition Congress party, said Modi's opponents would not back down.
Senior BJP member Ravi Shankar Prasad said the party did not oppose demonstrations but accused rivals of having "weaponised" street protests following electoral defeats.
Voter List Changes Under Scrutiny
Opposition parties allege that voter deletions affected the outcome of recent state elections won by the BJP, casting a shadow over voting in the world's largest democracy.
Election Commission data show about 130 million voter entries were removed during the verification exercise. These included 63 million people who had relocated, 30 million who could not be traced and 28 million who had died.
The commission says the removals relate to entries identified during the draft revision process and that eligible voters whose names were wrongly deleted can re-enrol.
